


Breath In. Exhale.

by its_a_religion



Category: In the Heights - Miranda
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Does that make sense?, M/M, Panic Attacks, Pete is a sweetheart, Pete is the real mvp, Prof Hansen is based on evan hansen, Sonny doesn't like to speak in front of strangers, Sonny is a cuddly anxious mess, brief mother hen Usnavi, but not enough to warrant being a character, you don't need to know about DEH to understand him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 07:59:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11287011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/its_a_religion/pseuds/its_a_religion
Summary: Sonny does not do well with public speaking and Pete won't answer his god damned phone.





	Breath In. Exhale.

**Author's Note:**

> Here is the angst I promised. It was kind of hard to write because I have been in a pretty good mood this week, but here it is anyway! As usual, thank you for reading, it means the world to me. Also, please don't hate on Pf. Hansen ok he just wants to help.

The sounds from the television faded in and out of Pete’s ears as he dozed off on the crummy couch. A cool fall breeze blew through his window as he listened to the sounds of the bustling city. Having just finished a commission the day prior, he had a few days off to relax and wind down. Sonny was back at the community college, so Pete really had nothing to do but laze around until his boyfriend came over. He considered getting up to get something to eat, but it just seemed like too much work so he decided against it, dozing off soon after.

 

Pete woke up shortly later with a gnawing feeling of discontentment in his chest. Something was wrong. He wasn't sure what, or how he knew, but something was amiss. He felt around for his phone, discovering it to have fallen between the cushions. It buzzed with a notification from the one and only, Sonny De La Vega. Pete noticed he had seventeen missed notifications from Sonny. All of them within the last ten minutes. Immediately concerned, Pete hit the call button and pressed the phone hard against his ear. He wracked his mind for what could have happened. It dawned on him that Sonny had been assigned to present something for his English class today. Pete knew how Sonny felt about large group speaking. He could handle it when it was just the people around the Barrio, people he knew, but a group of strangers? That was pretty much a guarantee for at least some anxiety. Pete listened as the phone rang in his ear, quietly whispering prayers for Sonny to answer.

 

***

 

Sonny was not having a good day. He knew from the moment he woke up that it was going to be a bad day. You see, it was presentation day. This meant Sonny would have to get up and speak in front of a group of people he didn't know and talk about something he didn't care about. Sonny remembered the advice Pete had given him they day before, “don't stress it Cariño,” he had said, “just imagine you are talking to the barrio, you talk about all sorts of shit to us all the time. You got this.” Sonny wished it was the same. He knew everyone in the Barrio. It was easy to talk to them because he knew they were almost never listening. This was different. That he could do, this he could not. He glaced at his phone and realized he had been laying in bed stressing about the presentation for way too long and if he didn't get up now, he would be late. Still his body didn't seem to want to move. He willed himself to get up and get dressed and try to make his hair at least somewhat presentable, before he walked down to the bodega. Usnavi was sitting behind the counter, as usual, talking to a very frazzled looking Benny. Sonny didn't bother to stop and chat as he was probably already going to be late. He just grabbed himself a coffee, since a slushie would be his reward for success, and went on his way.

 

Somehow he managed to get to the college with a few minutes to spare. He tried to take a sip of his coffee but he had long since drank the whole thing. Sonny rolled his eyes and tossed it into the trash, wishing he had grabbed a second one.

 

He walked into the lecture hall and glanced around. The sea of people was overwhelming. The chatter was too loud and drummed in his head. The angry fluorescent lights burned his pupils and he felt himself start to shake. He tried to take a deep breath, but it did almost nothing. Sonny sat down in the back of the room near the exit, knowing that if he needed to get out he had a way. Thankfully he wasn't the first to go. There were three presentations before him. Unfortunately, this meant Sonny had more time to work himself into a panic about his presentation. By the time the second presenter was through, Sonny couldn't take it anymore. He quietly got out of his seat and shuffled out of the classroom. Once outside he could breathe just a little better, though not enough to be considered normal. He didn't know what else to do so he called Pete. When Pete didn't answer the first time, Sonny didn't think anything of it. When he didn't answer the second time, Sonny began to worry. He called three more times before he descended into a full on panic. He didn't even have the strength to get up and go to a bathroom or somewhere more private. He just broke down right outside his classroom. He tried texting Pete instead, but after a ton of tries he still got nothing. Sonny felt like he was drowning. The oxygen had given up and left his body and he couldn't get more in fast enough. He didn't even care that there were tears streaming down his face, everything was hopeless anyway.

 

Sonny couldn't be sure of how long it was until he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket, all he could be sure of is that he hadn’t improved at all. He pulled out his phone and hastily pressed the little green circle to answer. He put it up to his ear and heard Pete whispering and little chant ‘of pick up.’

 

***

 

“Pete,” was all Pete heard before a choked sob and hyperventilation on the other side of the phone. Immediately he slipped on his shoes and started running towards the community college.

 

“Sonny,” he said, his voice a little bouncy from running, “I want you to focus on my voice okay? Focus on me. I'll be there soon. I am so sorry. I am coming cariño, I'm coming, just hold on,” he rambled. He stopped briefly at the bodega, throwing the door open and yelling a rushed, “Usnavi! Panic attack! Sonny!” Before he headed off again. He listened closely to the phone he had pressed hard against his ear to be sure that Sonny was at the very least still breathing. He was pleased to hear that Sonny was, in fact, still breathing, but disappointed to hear it was still in the form of harsh gasps. “Sonshine I can see the building, but I need to know where you are.” Pete waited a beat before adding a pained, _“please Sonny.”_

 

Pete let out the world's biggest sigh of relief when Sonny managed to tell him the room number. Pete rounded the corner and saw Sonny curled up small, with his head against his knees. Pete didn't think he had ever seen Sonny tremble this much before. He felt guilty knowing some of this was his fault. He shouldn't have left his phone on silent. He shouldn't have fallen asleep. He shouldn't ha-

 

No. Pete didn’t have time to have a pity party for himself. He needed to help Sonny. He knelt down carefully in front of the smaller boy. “Sonny?” He whispered softly.

 

Sonny looked up slightly, his eyes barely peeking over their shelter behind his knees. It took a moment, but recognition flashed across his face and before Pete could register it, Sonny had thrown himself onto Pete, clinging desperately. Pete wrapped his arms around the younger and rubbed his back lightly while whispering sweet nothings into his ear.

 

After a few minutes Pete realized how close they were to the classroom. He knew that the hour long class would be over soon and that Sonny shouldn't be right outside the door when everyone piled out. Carefully he wrapped an arm under Sonny’s legs and lifted him up, bridal style, and carried him across the hall to a bench by a brick wall. He continued to stroke up and down his back, occasionally running a hand through Sonny’s unruly curls.

 

Eventually Sonny began to calm down. Gasps for air gave way to sobs which slowly turned into simple tears and eventually Sonny pulled away from where he was clinging to Pete.

 

“I'm sorry,” Sonny whispered.

 

“Don't apologize, Sonshine, you did nothing wrong. I'm sorry for not getting here sooner and not answering your calls.” Pete replied sadly.

 

“It's not your fault,” Sonny said before burrowing into Pete’s side.

 

Pete looked up and saw a steady stream of students leaving the lecture hall. The last few stragglers were followed out by a man in khakis and a blue striped button down with sort of fuzzy dirty blonde hair. The man looked over to where Sonny was still curled against Pete, then looked at Pete and began to walk over. Pete supposed the man didn't look that threatening. Kind of dorky to be completely honest, if he tried to cause trouble Pete was sure it wouldn't be hard to take him down. Through instinct, Pete clutched Sonny a little tighter.

 

“Sonny De La Vega?” The man asked softly, looking down at Sonny then over to Pete.

 

“What’s it to you?” Pete said, his voice edged with anger as a felt Sonny’s grip tighten.

 

The man gave an awkward and slightly nervous smile, “I'm Professor Hansen, I teach Mr. De La Vega’s English course.”

 

Pete immediately wanted to punch himself in the face. “Oh, hi. I, um, I'm Pete. I'm Sonny’s boyfriend.” Pete cringed internally at how awkward this conversation was already.

 

“Is he doing alright?” The teacher asked and much to Pete’s surprise he sounded genuinely concerned.

 

“Yeah. He will be. He just doesn't do too good with public speaking and being the shit boyfriend that I am, I don't do to good at answering my phone.” Pete replied guiltily.

 

“Don't blame yourself,” Professor Hansen said lightly, “I get it.”

 

Pete gave a half smile and nodded but didn't respond.

 

“Sonny, we missed your presentation today,” he said softly, crouching down in front of the bench where the pair was sitting. “You could have just told me you didn't like public speaking and we could have worked something out. I am sorry it had to come to this, especially since it didn't have to. I have multiple other students who feel as strongly as you do about speeches and we are having a smaller scale presentation next week during my office hours if you would like to join us.” At the mention of this option Sonny unearthed himself from Pete’s side and looked at Professor Hansen with a small smile. “I'll send you an email with all the details okay?” Sonny nodded in understanding. He looked like he was about to say something when his phone began to buzz. He groaned and looked up at Pete.

 

“It's Navi, I gotta take this,” he said, his voice hoarse from the stresses of the panic attack, “if I need an out, you gotta help me,” he looked at Pete who huffed a small laugh and gave a thumbs up. As soon as Sonny answered the phone, Usnavi’s voice could be heard yelling in panicked spanish. Pete laughed again, this time at Usnavi’s mother hen tendencies, before looking over at the man who had stood back up.

 

“Thank you for giving him a different option,” Pete said, trying his best to sound smart for the teacher.

 

“It was no trouble at all. I was the same as him when I was in school.”

 

“Really?” Pete was surprised as teaching was pretty much entirely public speaking.

 

“Yeah. It took a long time to get here, but teaching is my passion. I actually always wanted to do something with the environment, but I fell in love with teaching while in college. I just hope I can help other people like me find their paths too.”

 

Pete was going to question more, but Sonny walked back up. Pete noticed how his hands were still shaking slightly, but some of the color had returned to his face so he was still hopeful. “Hey cariño how’re you feelin’” he asked, standing up and reaching out, putting a hand gently on his shoulder.

 

“I still ain’t one hundred percent, but I'll live.” Sonny said sheepishly.

 

“I'll see you next week for your presentation, Mr. De La Vega,” Professor Hansen said kindly, “don't hesitate to ask if you ever need help or need any sort of adjustment to a project or if you just need someone to talk to.” He gave a smile and when Sonny beamed in response, he walked back into the now empty lecture hall.

 

“Ready to go home?” Pete asked, lacing his fingers together with Sonny’s.

 

“We are stopping at the bodega first,” Sonny said with a smile, “Usnavi told me that Nina is back and I guess Cami made tamalés for everyone.”

 

“Sweet, let's go.”

 

They walked back to the bodega hand in hand and Sonny thought that perhaps this day didn't turn out to be so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> As usual, I am a slut for kudos and even more so for comments! I won't be able to respond until August because I am going canoeing for FIFTY DAYS AHHHHH! But I will be back in mid-August and I will write again then. Thank you all for understanding and I will see you soon!


End file.
